CHAPTER 96Anthony walked in, looking for Nolan and Alexa. "What is going on here?" he demanded. His eyes fell upon Nolan's bandaged hands, and he immediately began to scold the staff in the room for letting his son get hurt.One of the female cooks tried to speak up, but Anthony didn't let them. He continued to yell at them, blaming them for Nolan's injury. Nolan couldn't take it anymore, and he yelled back at his father. "It was no one's fault, Dad," he explained. "I did it voluntarily out of kindness."Anthony wasn't impressed. "You're stupid for trying to help around when you can't even take care of yourself," he scolded. Alexa was about to speak up for Nolan when Nolan cut her off. "Maybe I got that from you, you couldn't do anything when Mom was dying," he retorted.The sound of silence filled the kitchen as Anthony stood, mouth agape, at a loss for words. Alexa's eyes widened in shock as she turned towards Nolan, who was breathing heavily, his eyes staring daggers into his fath
CHAPTER 97But Alexa, knowing that the servants would judge her if she sat with the guests, replied, "I think I'll just stay here. I'd rather eat with the staff."Anthony saw the hesitation in her eyes, and was frustrated that she didn't want to spend time with him. "At least sit with me then," he said.As Alexa reluctantly took her seat, Anthony brought up the 20th anniversary celebration for Brown Construction Inc. "Hey Alexa, would you like to be my date for the event?" he asked.Alexa was speechless yet again. And after a moment, she replied, "I'll have to think about it, Anthony." She knew that she wouldn't be able to refuse his request, but she just needed a moment to gather her thoughts.Anthony noticed Alexa staring at something and asked, "Is everything alright? Do you need anything else?"Alexa shook her head and replied, "No, everything's fine. I just saw someone I knew, but he didn't seem to recognize me."Anthony raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who was it?""It's Cody," Ale
CHAPTER 98Cody quickly replied, "Great! I'm glad it went well. Listen, we need to meet up and go over the plan soon."Alexa sighed, feeling a sense of dread wash over her. She knew she couldn't avoid Cody forever. "Sure, when do you want to meet?""How about tonight?" Cody replied. "We can go over the plan and make sure everything's in place. Meet me at the usual spot at 8 PM."Alexa didn't want to go, but she knew she had to. She didn't want to let Cody down, but she also didn't want to get caught up in something illegal. However, before she could respond, her phone rang. It was Anthony."Hey beautiful," Anthony said on the other end. "How was shopping?"Alexa felt guilty for thinking about selling the clothes Anthony had bought her. "It was good. I got everything I needed," she lied."That's great. Listen, I'm going to be busy with work for the next few days, so I won't be able to see you. But I wanted to make sure you're taken care of. Did you need anything else?"Alexa felt a twi
CHAPTER 99It wasn't easy, but it was necessary. Anthony was hurt, but he understood. "I just wanted to make you happy," he said."I know," Alexa replied. "But happiness comes from within, not from fancy things or grand gestures. I'm sorry I couldn't give you what you wanted, but I hope you find someone who can."As she watched Anthony walk away, Alexa felt a sense of relief wash over her. She had been honest with both Cody and Anthony, and it felt like a weight had been lifted. She knew that she didn't need fancy clothes or grand gestures to be happy. All she needed was to be true to herself and to follow her heart.Dusk had descended on the mansion, and Alexa finally made it back after a busy day of shopping. Anthony greeted her at the door and pulled her in for a warm embrace."Long day?" he asked, holding her close.Alexa sighed, "Yes, it was. I'm so glad to be home."Anthony let her rest and excused himself since he had to head to work for a meeting. He apologized for his abrupt
CHAPTER 100Alexa stood in the middle of her living room, phone still clutched in her hand as she replayed the conversation with Nolan over and over in her head. Her heart was heavy with indecision, and she found herself at a crossroads, torn between her loyalty to her boyfriend Cody and her growing feelings for Nolan, the son of her employer, Anthony.Cody had been her partner for two years, and they had shared many memories together. They had started off as friends and gradually developed a romantic relationship. Alexa loved Cody, but lately, she had been feeling that something was missing between them. They had grown apart, and their once passionate love had dwindled into routine.Nolan, on the other hand, was a breath of fresh air. He was everything that Cody wasn't; charming, witty, and intelligent. Alexa had known him for a short while but she was already starting to feel drawn to him. Their conversations flowed easily, and she found herself thinking about him even when they wer
CHAPTER 101As Alexa lay sleeping, she felt a shift beside her. She slowly opened her eyes, still feeling a little groggy. When she turned her head, she saw that it was Nolan lying next to her, cuddled up in the blankets.Alexa was surprised to see Nolan in her bed, but her instincts told her that something was wrong. As she looked closer, she noticed that Nolan appeared to be visibly drunk. She tried to wake him up, but he was unresponsive, his body limp and heavy.Feeling a mix of concern and confusion, Alex carefully lifted Nolan's arm and tried to rouse him. After a few moments, he began to stir, his eyes fluttering open. But he was still clearly inebriated, his speech slurred and his movements clumsy."Wha...what's going on?" Nolan mumbled, struggling to sit up.Alex helped him to his feet, trying to keep him steady as they made their way to his room. As they walked, she could smell the alcohol on his breath, and she knew that he had been drinking heavily.As Alex finished changi
CHAPTER 102The next morning, Alexa woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. As she stretched her arms and legs, she couldn't help but think about the events of the previous night. The memory of Nolan's drunken confession and his plea for her to stay kept replaying in her head, causing her heart to race with a mix of emotions.But as she got out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make some breakfast, she was met with a grumpy and distant Nolan. He was sitting at the kitchen counter, his eyes fixed on his phone screen, and he barely acknowledged her presence as she walked in.At first, Alexa tried to brush it off, thinking that Nolan was just hungover from the alcohol he had consumed the night before. But as the minutes ticked by and Nolan continued to ignore her, she couldn't help but feel hurt and confused.Alexa's phone beeped, interrupting her thoughts. She picked it up to see a text from Anthony, her boss and Nolan's father. The message read:"Alexa, please come
CHAPTER 103As Alexa stepped out of the car in front of Anthony's company, she looked around nervously. She had never been to his office before, and she wasn't sure what to expect. As she was about to head towards the entrance, she saw Anthony walking towards her."Alexa, my dear, it's so good to see you," he said, reaching out his hands to her. "You look stunning in that dress."Alexa felt her cheeks flush as she thanked him, feeling a little self-conscious in the tight-fitting dress. Anthony took her hand and led her towards another car parked nearby."Where are we going?" Alexa asked, feeling a little nervous."It's a surprise," Anthony said with a grin. "But I promise you'll love it."Alexa couldn't help but feel a little suspicious as they got into the car and drove off. She tried to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled over her, focusing on the passing scenery outside the car window. After a while, the car turned off onto a long, winding road surrounded by lush green